VST/AU plug-in instrument/effect round-up: Week 10

18th May 2011 | 11:34

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More weapons for your sonic arsenal

Another varied selection of plug-ins this week, with the instruments ranging from analogue synth to ancient Chinese banjo emulations, and the effects processors including a software version of a classic Roland chorus and a dedicated pianists’ EQ.

Manx Synthesizers MM+ and XS-1

PC/VST, $79/$69

Two new synths from a developer which reckons that it can offer instruments that have a “warmer, thicker analogue sound” than some of its rivals. The MM+ looks like a Minimoog-inspired monosynth, while the XS-1 is a polysynth with three 6-stage envelope generators.

Sound Magic PianoQ

PC/VST, €10

If you’re struggling to create your ideal piano sound, this dedicated ivory-tinklers’ EQ could help. It’s a 5-band parametric affair: three bands are specially designed for pianos while the other two are left to be employed at the user’s discretion.

Audio Spillage MiniSpillage Pro

Mac/AU, $29 (pre-order for $15)

The free MiniSpillage is soon to get a more advanced sibling in the shape of MiniSpillage Pro. This is a drum machine that blends modelling, sample playback and sequencing - it won’t be available until the third quarter of 2011 but if you pre-order you can get it for almost half price.

Empty Room Systems Dim D

PC/VST, €59 (introductory price €49)

This is an emulation of Roland’s SDD-320 Dimension D chorus unit, but one that also offers a few enhanced features. These include Freq, Depth and Mix knobs and a large bank of presets. The introductory price applies until June 15.

Tek'it Audio 8eqf

PC/VST, €18

Another EQ plug-in from Tek’it Audio, this one’s an 8-band semi-parametric model with selectable bandwidth (choose between narrow and wide). For each band, you can tweak center frequency, gain, bandwidth and bypass parameters.

Kong Audio ChineeSanXian

PC/VST, $60

The SanXian (which means three strings) is a banjo-esque instrument that can apparently be traced back to the Qin dynasty, third century BC, but is still used today. This is a sample-based emulation that’s powered by Kong Audio’s new QIN engine.